"You don't have control of everything in life, like what happened to me," said the 36-year-old, the only competitor in his division. "What you do have control of is the way you react to adversity or a tough situation. I try to make the best of everything that's in front of me."

Glasbrenner's latest challenge came yesterday in the fifth annual Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon. Impressing spectators at sun-splashed Fairmount Park, he covered the 0.9-mile Schuylkill swim, 24.8-mile bike race, and 6.2-mile run in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 49 seconds.

After the swim, Glasbrenner, of Little Rock, Ark., cycled and ran with a prosthetic leg. A "handler" helps him make the swimming-to-cycling transition. "Everything else I do on my own," he said. "I wouldn't want any advantage."

There were 1,921 finishers. In the professional ranks, David Thompson and Rebeccah Wassner both defended their titles and claimed checks of $3,500. Thompson, 31, claimed top honors for the third time in four appearances. For Wassner, 34, it was her third Philadelphia crown in as many tries.

Thompson, of St. Paul, Minn., triumphed in a course-record 1:49:52. He passed runner-up Andrew Yoder, a 19-year-old who lives near Lancaster, about 11/2 miles before the finish line.

"I was pretty confident I could catch him," Thompson said. "His strength is as a swimmer-biker. I'm more of a biker-runner."

Over the last year, Thompson was slowed by a series of injuries that included a broken right hand suffered while cycling in the rain and a strained left thigh muscle. He underwent hernia surgery in December.

Thompson came to Philadelphia after second-place finishes in the San Jose Pro Challenge and the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. Next is the Life Time Fitness Triathlon in Minneapolis on July 11.

Battling the heat and some fatigue in the run, Wassner, of New Paltz, N.Y., prevailed in 2:02:22 and held off Kerry Spearing of Victoria, British Columbia, by 38 seconds. "In the last mile or two, I was getting pretty tired," she said. Spearing was "gaining on me. Still, I felt comfortable with my lead."

Wassner's twin sister, Laurel, was first out of the water and placed fifth in 2:05:29. The second-year pro was a standout swimmer at George Washington.

The Wassners train together in Upstate New York. In the off-season, Rebeccah Wassner, a six-month newlywed, is a certified public accountant and her sister is a free-lance photo editor. "We both have our strengths," Laurel Wassner said. "I push her on the swim, and she helps me become a better runner."

Ashleigh Brodhead, a first-time amateur triathlete, was part of the Team in Training program that raises funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The 23-year-old graduate of the University of the Arts had a better-than-expected clocking of 2:56:11.

Brodhead contributed $3,100 in pledges to the group's total donation of $800,000. She competed in honor of friend and co-worker Liz Supple's mother, Terry, who died of leukemia in 1997. Brodhead's mother, Tommi, is a breast cancer survivor.

Contact staff writer Rick O'Brien at 610-313-8019 or robrien@phillynews.com.

Top finishers

MEN

1. David Thompson, St. Paul, Minn., 1 hour, 49 minutes, 52 seconds ($3,500).

2. Andrew Yoder, Columbia, Pa., 1:50:52 ($1,500).

3. John Kenny, Atlantic City, 1:53:05 ($1,000).

4. Greg Remaly, San Francisco, 1:53:32 ($500).

5. Derek Oskutis, Hummelstown, Pa., 1:54:16 ($250).

6. Jamie Stephenson, Ottawa, 1:54:49.

7. Eric Limkemann, Dayton, Ohio., 1:55.

8. Holden Comeau, Philadelphia, 1:55:25.

9. Justin Park, Chapel Hill, N.C., 1:56:01.

10. Adam Webber, Denver, Pa., 1:56:32.

WOMEN

1. Rebeccah Wassner, New Paltz, N.Y., 2:02:22 ($3,500).

2. Kerry Spearing, Victoria, British Columbia, 2:03 ($1,500).

3. Margaret Shapiro, Herndon, Va., 2:03:09 ($1,000).

4. Dede Griesbauer, Boston, 2:05 ($500).

5. Laurel Wassner, New Paltz, N.Y., 2:05:29 ($250).

6. Jennifer Garrison, Naperville, Ill., 2:09:21.

7. Rebecca Newton, Lexington Park, Md., 2:10:27.

8. Beth Shutt, Natrona Heights, Pa., 2:10:54.

9. Brianne Gaal, Cary, N.C., 2:10:56.

10. Heather Leiggi, Bryn Mawr, 2:11:49.